Dear SVIN Members,

As I embarked on this endeavor as SVIN President, I pondered how to surpass the formidable achievements and unwavering commitment of the greatest minds in our field, seeking a way to bring meaningful change to our Society. In the words of Rumi, “As you start to walk on the way, the way appears.” Now, having surpassed the halfway mark of my tenure, it brings me great joy to announce the Society's remarkable strides in our four fundamental areas of strategic emphasis — education, research, advocacy, and fostering an inclusive and expanding membership. The path of progress has unfolded before us, affirming our collective efforts to make a tangible difference.

Below are just a few highlights of our extensive work. My personal thanks to the dedicated board members, Ex-officios, committee chairs, volunteers, and staff, who make this all possible.

Mission Thrombectomy

Under Dr. Dileep Yavagal’s leadership, the SVIN Mission Thrombectomy program had an impactful start to 2023, expanding global awareness for mechanical thrombectomy, and the worldwide disparity in access to MT. 

We received great industry coverage with “Mechanical Thrombectomy Global Access For Stroke (MT-GLASS): A Mission Thrombectomy Study,” published in the American Heart Association journal, Circulation. This first-ever global analysis of access to MT was conducted using the Mission Thrombectomy network. 887 participants in 67 countries made this groundbreaking research possible, and insights from the MT-GLASS study will help inform global efforts to improve access to this life-saving treatment. 

SVIN and Mission Thrombectomy Chair Dr. Yavagal were also featured in the March 2023 New York Times article, “This Revolutionary Stroke Treatment Will Save Millions of Lives. Eventually.”

And finally, I hope you have all seen the updated look for Mission Thrombectomy. A new brand and re-launched Mission Thrombectomy website were created as part of a public-facing campaign to create stroke awareness and support for global access to mechanical thrombectomy. 

SVIN Registry

The Registry is the cornerstone of SVIN’s strategic objective to facilitate and support high-quality and collaborative research for the benefit of patient outcomes. The Registry hit a critical milestone in 2022, with more than 7,000 patient cases collected from 12 sites in the U.S. New research based on the Registry data will be released in 2023 from many of our amazing sites. SVIN has furthered our Registry investment with the hiring of a dedicated coordinator, who will assist with data collection, quality, and research requests. The SVIN Registry is providing invaluable data to the medical community for tracking the progress and success of mechanical thrombectomy, and we can expect great work from this endeavor in the near future. 

Education

SVIN continues to disseminate knowledge concerning developments in cerebrovascular diseases and neurointerventional procedures by promoting, conducting, and supporting educational programs for physicians, and scientists interested in this field. 

The 2022 SVIN Annual Meeting was a record-breaking event, with the largest number of attendees and exhibitors in SVIN history. It was truly a pleasure to connect with so many of you in person at the Annual Meeting. I found great delight in participating in the novel sessions, such as the collaborative neuroanatomy session with WFITN and SVINnovation, a pioneering addition to any neurointerventional gathering. Additionally, witnessing the exceptional work of the prize-winning team from MIT, who are dedicated to developing groundbreaking technology with the potential to profoundly impact the lives of our patients, filled me with immense hope and inspiration.

We have more new experiences in store for attendees at the 2023 SVIN Annual Meeting at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami, Florida, November16-18. This year’s theme is SVINnovation: Without Boundaries, and the focus will be on cutting-edge clinical and translation research in ischemic and hemorrhagic disease. We will be trying some new  session formats to make this event even more engaging and valuable. Registration will open in June, and I look forward to seeing you there. 

As part of our World Stroke Thrombectomy Day Celebration in May, we brought back our highly successful SVIN Break virtual event. More than 200 attendees enrolled for a full day of sessions from specialists across the disciplines of neuroendovascular, vascular neurology, neuroradiology, neurocritical care, and neurosurgery, as they discussed complex patient cases. 

SVIN also continues to explore new educational opportunities and is actively developing new practitioner and industry training. We will have more updates at the Annual Meeting in November. 

S:VIN Journal

Eighteen months after launch, the S:VIN Journal is a resounding success. With hundreds of submissions and high reader engagement, the launch of the open access publication in collaboration with AHA and John Wiley & Sons, is entering a very strong second year. Our thanks to Dr. Ashutosh Jadhav and the S:VIN Editorial Board for all their hard work. I encourage you to submit your manuscript to S:VIN. Members receive a special APC discount, and Wiley has global institutional agreements that may reduce or waive your publishing fees. 

We are grateful for the collaboration and support of organizations like American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, and all our generous industry partners—together we are extending our reach and impact. 

In closing, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you, our esteemed SVIN members. It is through your dedication, passion, and collaboration that we have achieved these remarkable milestones. Together, we have embraced the flame of education, ignited the spirit of research, and advocated for positive change in our field. 

As we continue on this journey, let us draw inspiration from the words of Khalil Gibran, who reminds us that education is not merely about filling vessels but kindling flames. Let us continue to kindle those flames within ourselves and in the lives of those we touch. 
With boundless enthusiasm, I eagerly look forward to the future strides we will take together as we advance the frontiers of cerebrovascular care and make a lasting impact on the lives of countless individuals. Thank you for your unwavering support, and may our collective efforts continue to illuminate the path to a brighter future. 

Sincerely,
 

Ameer E. Hassan, DO, FAHA, FSVIN
SVIN President 2021-2023